Mystique
by MissLawyer
Summary: "If Malfoy wanted war, War it was". Ginny Weasley had a brief affair with Draco Malfoy after the war but left him asleep in his bed one night and fled to the Muggle Word only to emerge three years later as CEO of a big company. Now, Malfoy is seeking revenge... M for a reason ;) HG/RW e HP/PP
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing! All J.K. Rowling, all besides the plot._

_A/N: I started this fanfiction years ago, before the last book so I'll try to follow it but some characters that died in the book are alive in my fic. My first fiction, please no flames! Thank you! _

**Chapter 1**

War ended almost six years ago but the Wizarding World is still coming together.

Hope does not run low in wizards and witches' hearts, it never did. They kept fighting even though some older and wiser citizens thought it'd be a waste of time. True, to many wizards and witches it was a waste, they lost their lifetime earnings attempting to build new companies from scratch. Although the economy was hard on those new businesses some (few) survived the first years and were now more or less stable.

Old money enterprises like those own by the Malfoy and the Zabini's families had no difficulties in surviving the first years after the war. It was like nothing happened to them. In fact they started to buy other little companies and expand their interests. Small business owners sold their companies to them so they'd not go bankrupt.

Those two companies above controlled basically the entire market. No one entered the economical world without their approval. That is…until _Mystic _came along.

_Mystic_ was born in the Muggle world first six years ago, months after the Hogwarts final battle. It started as a small company.

Their major business being music, they still hold a little publisher on the side for fiction books but the company's interests expanded with time and nowadays it works as a writer, model and singer' agency and record company.

_How did they do it?_ you ask.

Well, _Mystic_ owns it mostly to one of their first star client. One of their protégées was their ticket to fame and wealth. No one really knows who she really is. Her face is always covered with a mask and she never did live shows or concerts. Not even her real name was known to the public or even the employees.

Her first single was a hit and she sold thousands of Cd's throughout Muggle Britain and later throughout Wizarding Britain.

Common employees swear they never saw her or worked on her music. It was all done by the Heads of the company. The truth was that when a new album was released, sells went high and crazy but after three years releasing new and improved music every few months, it stopped. Her albums and singles still sold like candy every month but it was starting to be less every month. People wanted new songs. It has been a year since she released a single or any records.

After their initial hit, _Mystic_ was swamped with new singers who turned to this company in hopes of recording their songs and to be represented by them. _Mystic_'s owner knew it was still early to represent wizards, so she started to work only in Muggle Britain without the Muggles realizing it was owned by a Witch.

It was after becoming one of the most prestigious companies in Muggle Britain that Mystic returned home: Diagon Alley.

So, three years after being born,_ Mystic _appeared in the wizarding world in the figure of the owner's personal assistants and Heads of Departments, Ginevra Weasley (music) a beautiful redheaded woman, Hermione Granger (books) a curly, brown haired young witch and Pansy Parkinson (modelling) a blondish beauty. Three beautiful women, each with a different approach on life and business but nonetheless powerful and effective approaches, took the Wizarding World off its feet with a blooming empire of dreams and hopes.

No one knew who the owner was but as soon as _Mystic_ started launching their clients into the wizarding market, the subject was forgotten.

At first everyone thought it was another small company to be eaten by one of the big companies but soon they discovered that this company was not a little fish but a Shark that entered the sea to win or at least struggle before giving in…

_Mystic_ bought _Books and Beauty_ shop from Lavender Brown, in which they sell most of their products and have one of the most prestigious beauty salons in Diagon Alley (ran by Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil) and bought _La La La Records_ shop from Lee Jordan. Surprisingly _Mystic_ kept every employee from the companies it bought. Growing in number as well as prestige, they now employs more or less thirty people by department, around seventy or eighty people only in its Wizarding office.

Its headquarters was placed in a very quiet street of Diagon Alley. It was just down Gringotts' left street. You would pass several apartments and turn again at the end of the street and there you were. An eight-floor, white and green building with _Mystic_ written on the front glass door in fashionable emerald letters.

Our story begins in the company's sixth year. More exactly when Malfoy and Zabini's decide that Mystic could no longer be ignored.

It begins when Ginevra Weasley is twenty-two years old and a stunning business woman, Hermione Granger is twenty-three and practically living together with Ginny's brother, Ronald, and Pansy is twenty-three and having an on-off relationship with the famous saviour of the world, Harry Potter.

I have told you the basics. I shall tell you now a story of love, hate, war, dreams and hopes. The story of how the Wizarding World survived the wrath of two former enemies for they were fire and ice, they were Ginevra and Draco.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing! All J.K. Rowling, all besides the plot._

_A/N: I started this fanfiction years ago, before the last book so I'll try to follow it but some characters that died in the book are alive in my fic. My first fiction, please no flames! Thank you! _

**Chapter 2**

**July, 1998**

Ginny left the Burrow after the second month memorial service her parents served in memory of Fred and all their friends who died during the war. Two months had passed and the pain was still too fresh. She couldn't hear another thing about Fred, about how funny he was, how kind and how brave he had been because she could no longer smile sadly and thank people for coming and join her family in their time of grief. She would beat the next person who talked about Tonks or Remus...

She was feeling broken inside. Her brother was dead. They won the war but her family would never be the same.

Ginny was a private person. In a big emotional family sometimes people forgot that she was different. She had fought bravely side by side with Neville all year long, suffering curse after curse, punishment after punishment with the strength of a lioness but now she was breaking. She didn't want therapy or sharing feeling at the dinner table.

She had no more strength, no more will to fight. Ginevra Weasley was hollow inside. She pulled her cloak close to her face. She didn't need people approaching her tonight. Since the war people seemed fit to walk up to her and praise her for her role in the war. She didn't need the attention. She needed space to grieve all that died.

She'd rented a small room at the Hogsmead Inn when her mother informed her of her intentions in hosting the memorial service and dinner. She walked the streets of Hogsmead into the Three Broomsticks. She looked around for a dark corner table where she could drink and be alone. She sat down and asked for a Firewiskey. No one asked her age. After the war nobody cared. They were just too happy (and drunk) to care if they're giving alcohol to an underage girl.

After a while Ginny barely remembered her pain. Alcohol was her refuge since the last battle.

"Young girls shouldn't drink so much" she heard from behind her. Ginny didn't need to see his face to know who it was. Ginny looked behind her. Sure enough sitting in a table behind her with a black cloak covering his face was Draco Malfoy.

"I don't see a young girl here do you, ferret? There is none left after the war" she snapped at him turning back to her drink. She could swear she heard him laugh lightly behind her. She felt him raise from his chair and approach her.

"I've been meaning to get in touch with you, Weasley but I thought I should wait and let your family grieve... I... I want to apologize for all the bad blood between us" Ginny almost choked in her drink when Draco whispered and sat beside her "I may be a bit drunk, mind you but this is an opportunity I can't let pass by." He brought his glass to his mouth and drank the rest of the firewhiskey "I'm sorry about your brother. He and George were the only two Weasleys I actually liked."

Ginny looked into his deep blue eyes and swore she was having an hallucination. Was she really sitting in the same table as Malfoy?

"Ah...thank you...?" she mumbled too numbed to scold him back to his table.

(some hours before)

Draco looked up from his drink when he felt Ginevra enter the Three Broomsticks. Even with her cloak hiding her face he knew her aura anywhere. She had an energy so powerful it was hard to ignore it.

In fact, Draco could never ignore her presence. Since he first saw her, he knew she was special. Too bad she was a Weasley or he would make a go at her and ask her out. But being a Weasley didn't mean Draco didn't lust her since his fifth year at Hogwarts.

It was the fourth time he saw her enter the bar that week. This time he had been wishing she would come as she had the nights before.

He kept silent for a while just watching her sitting in front of him with her back to him and a drink in her hand. One after another one, he saw the young Weasley drown her sorrows. He could only imagine what she was going through. Losing people one loved must be the hardest thing especially a brother.

Draco could say he was lucky. His parents were safe although both were in Azkaban. His mother was to serve eleven more months in prison and two years community service and his father was to serve eight years in prison plus ten of community service. But Draco knew they were proud of what they did in the last battle. What started as a strong alliance to the Dark Lord ended up being the ruin of their family and his parents love one thing above all other: Draco.

Many would think Draco was tortured by his father or that his childhood was horrible but on the contrary Lucius Malfoy although a tough educator was also a doting and loving parent. He taught him to be the perfect Malfoy heir but he was not violent and he was sad to see Draco became a Death Eater so young. Once he'd thought he was better because he was a Malfoy and a pureblood and that because of those two things he deserved it all but then he saw what power and egocentrism could do to a person, he saw the horrors of war and what evil actions could do to a innocent soul like his was once upon a time.

Somewhere in the middle of his last year Draco decided he would play it smart, after all he didn't want to die. He was never a true Death Eater at heart. He had been forced to get the mark. He believed Voldemort's doctrine as it was what his parent taught him since he could remember but now he believed that maybe it was ok to think it but do nothing about it. He was not a changed man after all but he was indeed a changing man.

Draco had been imprisoned and was later presented to court for trial after the Final battle. Although he had not participated actively during the war for he had not killed anyone or done anything but cast some Cruciatus curses, he had had a significant part in the death of Albus Dumbledore and was a marked Death Eater.

His father took the blame for him and Severus Snape's memories also helped him to avoid time in Azkaban. Even Potter had given the court his testimony saying he believed that even if he thought Draco was a bastard, he was not evil and that he had been forced into it. And it was true... Draco had been too scared to take Dumbledore's offer of protection but when he was hesitating and about to accept it (for he knew his parents would prefer him safe even if it meant that the dark Lord would kill them or torture them) Snape had appeared and killed the old man.

Every day Draco wondered what his life would be now if he had accepted without hesitation the offer Dumbledore had made him that day. He wondered if the young Weasley in front of him had doubts about her life and her past... She was suffering. Of that he was sure for he had been observing her for the last days and hours.

"Young girls shouldn't drink that much" he said out loud without realising. He was shocked when she replied to his involuntary commentary that he laughed lightly considering that he indeed was more drunk than he thought.

'_It's now or never'_ he thought raising from his table to join the young Ginevra Weasley.

Ginny couldn't believe she was drinking in silence with Draco Malfoy.

They didn't exchange a word since Ginny awkwardly thanked him for his apology.

During that week this "ritual" happen every night. Every night Draco would join her table without asking permission, without saying a word and they would drink in silence while the rest of the costumers partied around them celebrating the end of the war.

In the weekends Ginny would go to the Burrow to see her parents and tell them she was ok. She had been working part-time in a small record shop in Hogsmead making enough for her rent and her nightly tabs at the Three Broomsticks (although Malfoy now insisted he wanted to pay for her drinks). Molly Weasley was worried. Her only daughter was taking her brother and friends deaths very hard. She was distancing herself from the family... and Molly couldn't understand her need to move out and have space when Molly believed the best way to grieve was staying together as a family.

Ginny knew they all thought she was being selfish for adding more hurt to her mother but she could stay at the Burrow... she would rather die than to share her grieve with her family. She was not an open person. She kept her feeling inside her and dealt with her pain her way.

That Sunday she went straight to the Inn.

Draco Malfoy waited for Ginny but she never came. He waited the next day and the next and the next...

Draco Malfoy felt alone. Yes, he would admit it to no one, but Draco Malfoy was feeling alone. He was alone at home for his parents were in prison and he had no other family or friends around. His "friends" were also serving time or were not talking to him because he was now a blood traitor.

So Ginevra Weasley was the closest he had had to company for the last months.

Her absence was troubling him...more than he cared to admit.

A month later, Draco Malfoy was still doing his community work in Diagon Alley. He was helping to rebuilt what he helped destroy. Most of the Malfoy estates and businesses were still frozen and under audit from the Ministry so Draco was being forced into a modesty fast curse. '_Now I know how it felt to be a Weasley'_ he would often think sadly obviously exaggerating for he was indeed working hard and had little compared to what he was used to but he was still richer than the Weasley ever were before the war.

Every night he would go to the Three Broomstick in hopes of some Weasley company but every night he left the bar alone.

Until, nearly one month and a half after the last time he had seen her, Ginny walked in. This time she sat at his table. She didn't wait for him to join her.

They drank in silence but he could feel her gaze on him, her pretty blue eyes piercing his soul for answers.

'_If people could recognize them they would think something was truly wrong with this new world...a Weasley having drinks with a Malfoy... never heard of, never seen_!', she thought.

"Have you ever wonder what would your parents think if they knew you were having a drink with a Weasley?" her soft whispering voice took him from his own thoughts.

"Father would lock me up in St. Mungus for sure" he joked knowing perfectly well that his father would yell and berate him for such a poor choice of drinking buddy but in the end would cave and let him do what he thought was best.

She gave him a small smile.

"I think I'm done with getting drunk every night. It isn't helping..." she said looking at the empty glass in her hand.

She had made peace with half of what had happened to her over the war. Although she was not over the pain and although she was still grieving she knew she had to let go of the past and she couldn't do that completely numb from the Firewhiskey. She had avoided coming to the Three Broomsticks. She was getting too comfortable and enjoying Malfoy's company too much for her taste. She couldn't allow her emptiness to let her make bad choices. So she didn't came for a month and a half but she had seen him entering the bar and every day he seemed less like the arrogant and confident Malfoy she used to know. She knew why she felt comfortable in his silent company. He was empty, he was hollow just like her... Maybe their reasons were different but the results were the same. She could see it in his eyes... he had that lost look in his eyes she often saw in her mirrow.

"Tell me, Malfoy, why is it that two enemies find each other company so appealing?" she asked matter-of-factly.

"You are really talkative tonight, Weasley..." he replied uncomfortably. She was staring again like she saw more of him that he would like to show.

"I don't believe you're reformed. I still hate you and all you did to my family and friends but I still came here tonight trying to figure out what brings you to this bar every night. What could be so wrong in your life that you have to drawn your sorrows in alcohol just like I did for the past months" she knew she was pushing him, she was prepared to hear him reply with a petty insult like those he used to give her at school. But the insult never came. Nor did he reply. He asked the bartender for another round of FireWhiskey and another and another...and so Ginny drank with him in silence like all those nights ago.

If you asked Ginny what made her break down in front of Draco Malfoy that evening after getting drunk again on their way to the Inn, she didn't know how to answer.

All she knew was that suddenly she was telling him all about how she missed Tonks, Remus and Fred. She told him of all the times she was tortured in their last year at Hogwarts. And in return Draco told her why he sat drinking every night.

"I go home to an empty house. I work all day rebuilding what was destroyed. I keep reliving it every day, every spell I cast, every curse I did... all there in those ruined alleys..." he confessed while they were sitting on a bench in front of the Inn "I'm starting to have regrets ...ugh..." he stated like he was tasting something disgusting.

"I know what you mean..." Ginny replied "Every time I go home to the Burrow I see Fred and all the good times we had there... it's unbearable!"

"At least when you go there you have your loving family there... I have no one. They're all locked up. No one cares if I'm alive, if I'm ok... I'm an outcast now... People look at me with disgust. I had people spiting on me to see if I'd let my guard down and curse them and gain a one-way ticket to Azkaban!" he said almost rolling his tongue around the worlds.

He was really drunk... he had tried to avoid these confidences with Ginny by getting her really drunk and unable to have coherent thoughts but in the process he got himself drunk enough to talk to her, a Weasley, about his feelings ("_yuck...feelings..._", he thought).

Ginny looked at Draco and saw him without his usual mask. He was after all a real boy... he had a heart...

"Having a caring family isn't always a good thing... I can't do anything without someone on my case... I need comfort but without the entire emotional stuff that usually come with it. I just want to forget..." she said softly.

"I know..." he replied looking dark and serious once more his gaze looked in hers. And his deep blue eyes were the last thing Ginny remembered before his lips touched hers and she forgot the world.

_**24th September 2005**_

_**CEO and vice-CEO's office**_

"Ginevra Weasley, please, pleeeeasse sit down! You're making me nauseous!" whined Pansy rubbing her eyes.

It had been six months since any of them had a day without worry. Malfoy was buying music companies and shops all over Britain and decided that he wanted to have a music recording department in his empire. So, _Mystic_ was struggling.

They had been expecting this but still… As CEO's of _Mystic_ they had to work extra hard and not panic although it was not easy considering Malfoy was now openly competing for one of their biggest clients, _The Weird Sisters. _

And Ginny was officially freaking out. _The Weird Sisters_ were one of their biggest clients and if they lost the group, the company would have to lay people off.

"Oh, God!" she moaned "Mum's gonna kill me if we lose Celestina!"

Hermione sighed and rose from her chair.

"Ginny, STOP!" she commanded. Ginny obeyed and stood quiet.

Hermione looked at her apprehensible.

"You look drained, Gin. You must calm down. You have been doing this for six years-"

"And Malfoy was trained to take care of his family business since he was born!" Ginny shrieked "That's why he is crushing my negotiations with Celestina! The stupid ferret is bribing her and the rest of the group with things we cannot offer them..."

"We knew he would not lay cool while we rocked the market. We knew this was going to happen ever since his father died in Azkaban eight months ago and his mother had to step away from business... We prepared for this." She paused and sighed again looking at their monthly charts "And if this continues, we still have _Mystique_"

Both Ginny and Pansy looked at Hermione sadly. Ginny was the first to break the silence.

"Herms, _Mystique_ retired" Ginny said darkly "She's the reason we're here but she retired and wants nothing to do with us anymore...or anyone ".

Hermione stared at Ginny and then at Pansy. Crestfallen Hermione pointed at last month's sells chart.

"If Malfoy keeps stealing our artists, she is our only choice. Ginny will have to talk to the Boss and that's it" she said dropping herself in her chair again.

Ginny did the same. They sat in silence and wondered how from one moment to the other the company started to fall after so many years on top. Ginny looked up from her papers at her two partners. They were the image of two very tired women. No one would say so if not for the bags under their eyes because both women dressed nicely and proudly and had a very professional air.

Ginny sighed and dreaded what was to come. No one wanted to do business with them anymore. Malfoy was bad-mouthing all over the market…and bribing their clients to quit their contracts and join his new agency. '_Why_?' Ginny wondered. He had been quiet for three years, when he could have started this even with his mother dealing with the family business, so why now?

If he started expanding further then Mystic would not have any other alternative than to bet the wild card…

_Mystique_ …

'_The singer that made the company grew from a tiny little thing to the force that it is – was'_ Ginny thought jadedly.

She sighed again… no, The Boss was not going to be happy…

_**25th September 2005**_

Ginny woke up with a start and rubbed her eyes. As she looked around her she saw both Pansy and Hermione sleeping profoundly at their desks.

She stood up and looked at her watch. Four a.m. _Great!,_ she thought with sarcasm.

She walked to Hermione's desk and gently tried to wake her up.

"Herms, Herms…" she called twice.

Hermione opened one eye, looked up at Ginny and smiled.

"Looks like we fell asleep in the office again…we should really think about installing a dormitory here." She said jokingly and she stood up and arranged her clothes.

Ginny nodded and walked up to Pansy. She called her twice as well and as usual…

"I'm UP! I'm Up!" Pansy woke with a start dropping from her chair.

"Yes, Pansy, we know you never fall asleep as we do" Hermione said rolling her eyes at Ginny who giggled.

Pansy laughed sarcastically as she looked for her shoes under her desk.

It was the nth time the three of them had fallen asleep while trying to find a way to keep their accounts.

Ginny grabbed her purse and straighten her robes. As she turned around something fell from her purse. A small silver mobile phone. Ginny grabbed it and noticed it was glowing.

"Oh, great!" she said out loud "Mom phoned me twenty times since seven p.m."

Pansy laughed. Even after truly knowing Ginny's family for four years she still could be bewildered by Molly's desperate attempts to contact her daughter every day.

"Molly is always calling you, Ginny. Maybe you should go visit her tomorrow" Hermione said as they walked out of the office to the elevator "You never visit nowadays and they miss you."

"I visit them!" Ginny replied indignantly.

"Yeah, right, once a month maybe." Pansy snorted and Ginny glared at her.

"I'm only saying that you should go more often. It's been six years Ginny... You can't avoid going there. I go there every week and I'm not family" Hermione continued "…at least not yet"

Ginny and Pansy laughed. Ron had been promising Ginny he was planning to propose to Hermione very soon but he had been making that promise for two years now…

"He will propose!" Hermione yelped "He just needs time!"

Pansy rolled her eyes at Ginny at this. It was a fact well know that Hermione would wait forever for Ronald Weasley.

"Oh, I would not roll my eyes if I were you, Pansy darling." Hermione replied "At least I know that Ron will propose but Harry is not even thinking about it"

Pansy glared at Hermione. Harry and Pansy were an on-off couple. Pansy was too volatile and Harry was too hard-headed sometimes but they loved each other too much to stay away long.

Ginny smiled sleepy at the other two antics.

Ginny sighed and waited for the enchanted elevator to stop. Life was good…stressful, but good.

Finally it stopped.

They passed by the night guard, John, and bid him goodbye with a smile as he waved at them.

Ginny kissed her friends and co-workers goodnight and walked home. Her old sweet home of three years was the only place she felt safe and truly happy.

She gazed one last time at the fashionable Mystic building and sighed. She walked down the street and turned a corner to her house. She smiled as she closed the door of her apartment. She could still hear Pansy's voice when she bought the house telling that maybe it was easier and cheaper to live in Mystic. Yes, she knew it was really close to her working place and that was, for her, a bonus.

She dropped her coat on the sofa and walked straight to her bedroom. Once inside she fell into her bed and sighed jadedly. She regarded her bedroom thinking. It was apparently a small apartment for someone of her wealth. Five years working in Mystic had given her more than she ever thought she could earn in a lifetime. But she did. Her apartment had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, one resting room and dining room and one small kitchen. Everyone in her family thought this apartment was too big for her, a single woman. She used to laugh at this because only she and Harry knew how big the apartment really was. After all, Harry was the one to find it. Her eyes gave a quick look in the direction of the hidden rooms of her apartment.

Her secret room of dreams and inspiration... Only Harry had ever entered those rooms besides Ginny and no one else knew of their existence.

No longer feeling sleepy, Ginny stood up and walked to her wardrobe.

She withdrew her wand hesitating only a second. She tapped the right corner and then the left corner. Leaning into the back of the wardrobe she whispered, "_When the sky is bright but the dawn is scary, hold tight, I'll be there to kiss you goodbye!" _

She stood back as a door appeared in the back of her wardrobe.

Ginny hold her breath as she opened the door of her music room.

She stepped in taken by the memories that room kept intact. One wall full of every CD Mystic had ever sold since it was born. In the other wall a collection of guitars placed neatly in it. Seven, one for each day of the week or the mortal sins… seven, for the day she was born and nearly died… Seven guitars propriety of the seventh born child. One baby blue, one baby pink, one purple, one black, one black and white, one blood red and an emerald green one. Collecting dust they were. Displayed there to tell her what she lived for, what she had to fight for…

Her work but also her life ... her way to forget her demons.

Finally she turned her gaze from the guitars and entered the other room: her own recording studio.

It had been almost three years since she had used it but still felt great to be there.

She looked around at the room and smirked.

If Malfoy wanted war, War it was.

_**30**__**th**__** September 2005**_

"Miss Weasley, the Daily Prophet, the Velvet and the Quibbler are all in the conference room" her assistant said dropping the daily newspapers on her desk.

Ginny looked up to thank him but Julliard had already left the room. "I'll make them wait a bit..." she thought smirking at herself.

She continued to read her papers. Five minutes later, Pansy walked in the room arguing with Hermione in hushed tones.

Ginny looked up from her papers and looked at her watch. Twelve p.m.

"Is this time for the Heads of the Company to arrive at the office?" she snapped "I've been here since 9 a.m.! I need your opinion in some of the ideas I had overnight!"

Hermione glanced at Pansy and Pansy nodded encouragingly.

"Gin dear, have you…uh…seem by any chance the Daily Prophet?" she asked backing outwardly nonchalantly to her desk in the other side of the room.

Ginny frowned and reached for it.

Her jaw dropped as she read the front page of the daily newspaper.

**Malfoy and Zabini – United!**

**Former owner of Zabini Brooms Enterprises, Blaise Zabini, sold his company to Mr. Draco Malfoy last night. The union of these companies makes Mr. Draco Malfoy the owner of 80% of the national sports industry. He's also holds one of the biggest Potion's investigation department and is now seeking new horizons. **

**Lately Mr. Malfoy started a music agency and hired some unknown singers and bands but his eyes are set on two very famous names: **_**The Weird Sisters**_** and, the missing in action, **_**Mystique**_**. **

'_**The negotiations are almost finished'**_**, Mr. Malfoy said to The Daily Prophet when questioned on his negotiations with the Wizarding famous band.**

**When asked about the mysterious singer, Mystique, Mr. Malfoy only smiled and assured he would soon reveal the singer's real identity before Christmas and get her to sign a contract with his company. **

**Will he? Will little family company Mystic survive? Or will it crash and burn?**

**Only time will tell.**

... it continued but Ginny was done reading. Tossing the offending paper across the office, she yelled furiously.

"_**Little family company!**__" _she yelped.

Hermione looked at Pansy nervously and then back at Ginny that had started throwing everything she saw. Both Hermione and Pansy decided that the best was to protect themselves from Ginny's tantrum.

"It will be alright, Ginny" Hermione said from under her desk.

"_**Bloody fuckin' Malfoy!**_" she yelled throwing another object against the wall.

"_And there goes another flower vase"_, thought Hermione after hearing the breaking noise.

"We still got alternatives" Pansy offered from the other side of the room "He hasn't bought any thing related to fashion and literature"

Finally the breaking sounds stopped and Hermione ventured out. She stood up and looked around the battle field A.K.A their office. '_Wow it's worse than when Ginny discovered that Neville accidentally broke the industrial printer, last Christmas, making us postpone Violet's new book 'til February' _she thought.

She looked for the redhead but Ginny had left the room.

"Is it clear, Herms?" Pansy whispered from under her desk.

Hermione laughed.

"Yes, the monster is gone" she joked.

It was not as if Ginny was a very complicated person to work with but she sure had her Weasley moments.

She bared a passion for Mystic than not everyone understood but Hermione and Pansy did. The company was a part of them. They had to work hard to be where they were and now seeing Malfoy threaten to crush their work…well, it was not a happy thought.

"Thank God we didn't tell her that he bought the radio station" Pansy stated coming out of her hideout.

"He bought what?" asked the 'monster' in a very tiny voice.

Both women turned to the door where Ginny had appeared with coffee in her hands. Expecting another outburst from their best friend, both women ducked under their tables.

But Ginny didn't move. She didn't say anything. She just grabbed her notes and headed to the conference room to meet the reporters.

Ginny sat quietly at her table thinking of what she could do. She had stripped down her fancy business robes and put on her baggy pyjamas. The mug of tea between her hands was cold, forgotten by the young woman.

Suddenly she could no longer think. She stood up and walked to her room. She closed the door and opened the music room.

In the past this had been her sanctuary, a place for when things went terribly wrong in her life. So, maybe it would help her now.

She grabbed the baby blue guitar and sat in her black leather sofa running her fingers through the strings. She felt a calming wave invading her and then she did something she hasn't done in a long time. She played and sang until she could no longer feel the pain.

* * *

**A/N: Soooo what do you think about it? Please review! I know Ginny and Draco's story back in 1998 is still a bit confusing but it will get clearer as we go on. Just remember that Ginny is 16 in 1998. She was not part of the Horcruxes hunt but she went to school during the war, when some of the Professors were Death Eathers and she was "a blood traitor". She fought as a member of the Dumbledore Army and she lost her innocence and after the war she had to deal with a lot of issues and scars left from her warrior time. It will get clearer as to way Ginny and Draco felt so irrationally attracted to each other after a few nights and drinks.**

Please review! I want feedback =) no flames please!*****


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing! All J.K. Rowling, all besides the plot.**_

_**A/N: First of all, thanks to Fer and **__**Toinette for reviewing and all of you who are now following my story =) Thank you soooooo much!**_

_**- Toinette - have I posted this somewhere before? I'd this fic in my old computer long forgotten… Chapter 2 was half new (I wrote the 1998 part yesterday**__** for better context). I used to have another username but I've been away from Fanfiction so long I don't remember which name it was...lol ^.^ I truly hope that I'm not repeating my posts... This fic was in my "not published" files. Anyway, I'm redoing what is done because I've not touch it in almost seven years... =P **_

_**BTW, I found an error in my previous chapter. I said Draco had blue eyes and of course that was a typo because we all know he has grey eyes =P **_

_**Hope you enjoy it =)*****_

**Chapter 3**

_** August, 1998**_

Ginny couldn't believe she had kissed Draco Malfoy. She came to her senses when she felt his hand going under her blouse. She jerked away from him and hastily ran to her room. It was all a nightmare. She would wake up and everything would be back to normal.

Next morning Ginny groaned as she showered. It hadn't been a nightmare. She still felt Draco's lips on hers. It hadn't been repulsive on the contrary. She lost herself in that kiss. She felt flames inside and a longing she never knew was possible. As she put her working clothes on that from that morning forward that nothing would be the same.

For once she knew that the hollow inside of her would always prevent her from going back to Harry. After the war they tried to make their relationship work but in between all the grieve and post traumatic stress both of them were suffering the love they had before was transformed into a beautiful and strong friendship and their love was less romantic and more brotherly now. Both of them knew that the war had made them cling to each other and agreed that after everything it wasn't there anymore. Now she knew they had made the right choice. Their friendship would be always better that their relationship.

As Ginny walked to the record shop she thought back and tried to remember if when Harry had kissed she'd ever felt the flames she had felt the night before with Draco but she couldn't remember ever feeling such heat and abandon in a kiss before.

It riddled Ginny and she couldn't get it out of her mind the entire day. Ginny was working at a small shop in Hogsmeade village that sold music record and musical instruments. The owner, a small elderly man, Mr. Smith, had once been a great musician and was now unable to run the small shop by himself. He had hired Ginny almost after a second. He was nice and reminded Ginny of an old grandfather.

The business was going okay considering the economy crash that had occurred during and after the war. People wanted something to brighten their day and music was now present at all times in the wizarding world. Ginny herself loved to listen to it.

Few knew but Ginny had learned to play piano and acoustic guitar during her stay at Hogwarts. She had used the Room of Requirement during her second year and taught herself to play a bit of piano and guitar. Her "adventures" during her first year had marked her far more than she let people think and music had been her refuge then. Although she loved to sing and play she couldn't do it to an audience...even at home she used to check if anyone was around before she lost herself in her music.

Mr. Smith had sensed her music abilities and was since then teaching her music after the store closed. She would do anything but sing in front of him but he knew she had it in her. He'd said so himself. Ginny was starting to believe it was making her better as it had after her first year but it was going to be a long way until she felt like herself if she even would...That afternoon though Mr. Smith was even happier than usual when he entered the shop and greeted Ginny.

'Ginny dear, I've got a surprise for you!' he said.

Ginny stopped dusting the shelves behind the counter and asked him what it was with some enthusiasm.

He motioned her to came with him. Ginny locked the shop and followed Mr. Smith into the streets of Hogsmeade. For a old man, Mr. Smith still moved pretty good and that day he was making Ginny almost run after him to catch his pace.

'My dear, my dear!' he said stopping in front of a small building on the boarder of Hogsmeade 'I think you're ready...such a natural talent, my dear! I've talked to a friend of mine and he's willing to let me use his place...oh, you'll see just in a minute...Come in, Ginny' he said opening the door.

Ginny walked in adjusting to the dime lit room. In a corner there was a weird looking recording device that Ginny recognised only from old magazines in Mr. Smith's shop and next to it a acoustic guitar and a chair. In front of it was a sheet music stand holder with some sheets in it. Ginny looked at Mr. Smith very confused.

'Mr. Smith, what are we doing in here?' she asked the old man.

'Ginny dear, we're here to record your music' he said holding her hand and guiding her into the chair ' I found this music sheets under some receipts yesterday and I knew that if you're already doing this after only a few months then you're ready dear. You see, you've given me a purpose again, my dear. I may not be able to play or sing as I used to but I can still teach and you've shown me that'.

Mr. Smith looked at his broken hands but smiled at Ginny 'I know a talent when I see one my dear...'. With that he put the key in her hand and walked out, leaving a dumbfounded Ginny in his wake. She looked at the music sheet she had written yesterday. It was only a draft but she was indeed proud of it. Was she really any good? Should she take this opportunity Mr. Smith was giving her?

* * *

Draco gazed at the beautiful young Weasley doing her job. There she was cleaning and restocking ... she looked like Muggle doing it all by hand. When he was given a break from his community work he always came to Hogsmeade and stared at the redhead Weaslette.

He had been drunk the night he kissed her but he knew he had longed for it for years. He could barely admit it to himself but he liked Ginny too much, he always had. He had been furious when he learned of her relationship with Potter. He'd been jealous... but Malfoys never admit to jealousy. He'd been lusting for her for so long that having her in his bed was all he could think about since he'd kissed her all those nights ago.

There was a fire inside her that made him lust her. There was something about her that made his icy heart beat warmer and the blood in his veins burn when he saw her. That drunk kiss had made him forget his demons and that was something Draco wanted to experience again. To forget... to expel his dark demons if only for a moment...even if it meant he wanted Weasley in his arms again.

How he would achieve this he had no idea...but he knew Weasley wasn't the type of woman to jump into bed with him, especially

Since that night he hadn't seen Ginny. He had been watching her from a far to see where she was disappearing after closing the shop. She would enter a small old building almost outside of Hogsmeade and after hours she would come out looking tired but with a smile in her face. Draco had yet to understand what was going on in that building for there were no windows and no sound came from it.

He had planned, he had made up his mind. He would get her into his bed before Halloween and today was step one in his plan, he was going to ambush the little Weasley when she exited the small building.

'So, hiding from me, are we, Miss Weasley?' Draco said, with a smirk in his face when he saw Ginny come out.

Ginny almost jumped out of her skin and hastily pointed her wand at Draco's throat until she recognised him in the dark. 'Old habits die hard' she mumbled putting her wand away. She could feel her cheeks burning. Seeing him again made her think of that night a week ago.

'So I see' he remarked straightening his robes.

'What are you doing here, Malfoy?' she asked walking away from his. She needed distance from him... she could barely look at him without remembering how she could easily loose herself in his eyes or his lips.

'I think you're avoiding me since that night and I want to set the record straight Weasley' he said keeping up easily with her 'What happen the other night...well, we're drunk and I've been lonely for a while since the war. So it meant nothing okay? Don't think I, Draco Malfoy, enjoyed kissing you, Ginevra Weasley... well, if you care to know, it was rather dull...'.

Ginny came to a halt. 'Well, I'm glad you think that, Malfoy, because it was an abjuration and it will never happen again' she said with a grim face. Damn his beautiful eyes... Malfoy had grown into a gorgeous man, yes, a man, not a boy anymore after what they had been through they were no longer children. How could she look at him and forget everything? 'What is wrong with me?' she thought staring at him.

'Well, although I didn't enjoy our abjuration as you called it, I rather enjoy your company, so what do you say to a drink?' he asked with a wicked smirk.

If her brothers even dreamt she was having a drink with Malfoy, they would kill him and her! But there she was, having a Butterbeer with her family sworn enemy.

'Are we not the weirdest of companions?' she remarked slipping him his Firewisky 'Who would think that a Weasley and a Malfoy could stand in the same room without killing one another?'.

Draco Malfoy smirked behind his butterbeer.

'There has been too much blood already, Weasley. I think we have to bury the axe, don't you? I know I'd like so... Nothing is ever going to be the same, Weasley and I'm in desperate need of a "friend"' he said making a face at the end 'Bet you never thought you'd hear the day a Malfoy asked you to be friends?' he laughed jadely.

'You must be indeed desperate, Malfoy, but you know, I'm jaded enough to take you on your offer...' she said sadly thinking of how she could bare herself to look at her own friends now without thinking of all they had been through and all of those who died. She found it funny that when she looked at Malfoy all she could see was her own emptiness and her own hollowness. He was just like her. He had been touched by evil and he was now broken.

She shared with him that thought one day and he stared at her with something that she couldn't identify.

'I reckon you're right Ginevra.'

He was now calling her Ginevra. They've seeing each other almost every night after Ginny excursions to the old building and had become something close to friends. Draco now seemed fit to call her birth name but she still felt weird to hear her name came out of his lips, those lips that had burned her soul all those nights ago and that Ginny hadn't been able to forget.

'I've been meaning to ask you something, Malfoy' she said watching as people around them sat and ordered drinks at the Three Broomsticks.

'I'll answer if I can" he replied taking his cup to his mouth.

'Harry told me you hesitated to identify him that night at the Mansion' she stated matter-of-factly 'Why?'.

Draco's eyes would always betray his emotions, at least to Ginny that could now see through his façade. He was remembering all those nights, all the torture he had endured during Voldemort reign.

'You don't have to answer if you don't want to' she murmured into her drink still staring deep into those grey eyes that once seemed so cold to her but that she found so warm now-a-days.

He shook his head 'No, I'll tell you the truth if you tell me what is that you do every evening in that old house that you go to after work'.

Ginny almost choked on her drink and simply said, after composing herself, 'I can't'.

'Why?' he inquired piercing her with those grey eyes of his 'You told me so many things, Ginevra... what could it be that you do there that you can't share with me after all these months?'

'I'm not ready to share it...not yet...' she said with a smile.

'Yeah... maybe one day I'll tell you why I hesitated that night... and you tell me your little secret' he stated raising his hand and ordering another round of drinks.

'Ask her for some tea please, Malfoy' Ginny asked politely 'This October is simply too cold for me'.

With a polite nod, the slim bartender brought them a cup of tea and another Firewhiskey smiling at them and winking at Draco with a very Slytherin like smirk in her face.

The Three Broomstick's bartender knew by now that his two regular customers were. She was no fool. Although they always covered their heads with their cloaks she already knew who they were and that was why she kept quiet about their identity and gave them the most secluded table at the bar. Every other night they came, sometimes together, sometimes separately but he knew that this unlikely pair deserved to be left alone so he'd do anything he could to keep them out of the eye of the rest of his customers.

Even if it'd meant to lie to said customer's redheaded friend about her whereabouts. It had served him a galleon and since then many more had came her way and that was great because she'd been cut off by her father. Ginny and Draco had found an ally to their unlikely friendship in the form of Pansy Parkinson.

* * *

_**30**__**th**__** September 2005**_

'Miss Weasley, the Daily Prophet, the Velvet and the Quibbler are all in the conference room for the press conference' her assistant said dropping the daily newspapers on her desk.

Ginny looked up to thank him but Julliard had already left the room. 'I'll make them wait a bit...' she thought smirking at herself. She continued to read her papers. Five minutes later, Pansy walked in the room arguing with Hermione in hushed tones.

Ginny looked up from her papers and looked at her watch. Twelve p.m.

'Is this time for the Heads of the Company to arrive at the office?' she snapped 'I've been here since 9 a.m.! I need your opinion in some of the ideas I had overnight!'

Hermione glanced at Pansy and Pansy nodded encouragingly.

'Gin dear, have you…uh…seem by any chance the Daily Prophet?' she asked backing outwardly nonchalantly to her desk in the other side of the room.

Ginny frowned and reached for it. Her jaw dropped as she read the front page of the daily newspaper.

**Malfoy and Zabini – United!**

**Former owner of Zabini Brooms Enterprises, Blaise Zabini, sold his company to Mr. Draco Malfoy last night. The union of these companies makes Mr. Draco Malfoy the owner of 80% of the national sports industry. He's also holds one of the biggest Potion's investigation department and is now seeking new horizons. **

**Lately Mr. Malfoy started a music agency and hired some unknown singers and bands but his eyes are set on two very famous names: **_**The Weird Sisters**_** and, the missing in action, **_**Mystique**_**. **

'_**The negotiations are almost finished'**_**, Mr. Malfoy said to The Daily Prophet when questioned on his negotiations with the Wizarding famous band.**

**When asked about the mysterious singer, Mystique, Mr. Malfoy only smiled and assured he would soon reveal the singer's real identity before Christmas and get her to sign a contract. **

**Will he? Will little family company Mystic survive? Or will it crash and burn?**

**Only time will tell.**

... it continued but Ginny was done reading. Tossing the offending paper across the office, she yelled furiously.

'_**Little family company!**__' _she yelped.

Hermione looked at Pansy nervously and then back at Ginny that had started throwing everything she saw. Both Hermione and Pansy decided that the best was to protect themselves from Ginny's tantrum.

"It will be alright, Ginny" Hermione said from under her desk.

"_**Bloody fuckin' Malfoy!**_" she yelled throwing another object against the wall.

'_And there goes another flower vase'_ Hermione thought after hearing the breaking noise.

'We still got alternatives' Pansy offered from the other side of the room 'He hasn't bought anything related to fashion and literature...'

Finally the breaking sounds stopped and Hermione ventured out. She stood up and looked around the battle field A.K.A their office. '_Wow it's worse than when Ginny discovered that Neville accidentally broke the industrial printer, last Christmas, making us postpone Violet's new book 'til February' _she mused to herself.

She looked for the redhead but Ginny had left the room.

'Is it clear, Herms?' Pansy whispered from under her desk. Hermione laughed.

'Yes, the monster is gone' she joked 'Sometimes she is quite temperamental'. It was not as if Ginny was a very complicated person to work with but she sure had her Weasley moments. She bared a passion for Mystic than not everyone understood but Hermione and Pansy did. The company was a part of them. They had to work hard to be where they were and now seeing Malfoy threaten to crush their work…well, it was not a happy thought. Pansy knew better than Hermione why this was affecting Ginny so much but she could share with the brunette the reason, at least not yet.

"Thank God we didn't tell her that he bought the main radio station" Pansy stated coming out of her hideout.

"He bought what?" asked the 'monster' in a very tiny voice.

Both women turned to the door where Ginny had appeared with coffee in her hands. Expecting another outburst from their best friend, both women ducked under their tables.

But Ginny didn't move. She didn't say anything. She just grabbed her notes and headed to the conference room to meet the reporters.

* * *

Ginny sat quietly at her table thinking of what she could do. She had stripped down her fancy business robes and put on her baggy pyjamas. The mug of tea between her hands was cold and forgotten. She taking a trip down memory lane.

Suddenly she could no longer think. She stood up and walked to her room. She closed the door and opened the music room. In the past this had been her sanctuary, a place for when things went terribly wrong in her life. So, maybe it would help her now.

She grabbed the baby blue guitar and sat in her black leather sofa running her fingers through the strings. She felt a calming wave invading her and then she did something she hadn't done in a long time. She played and sang until she could no longer feel the pain, until she forgot her demons.

* * *

The following days at _Mystic _were crazy. Some of the employees and clients started to gossip about the eventual or imminent crush of the company and that was the worst that could happen to either one of the Heads of the Company.

'My department is chaotic, Pansy!' Hermione moaned 'People are coming in and off my office downstairs asking if they are going to lose their jobs! Some even gave me their resignation and said they're joining Malfoy's Company!'

Pansy closed their Heads' office door and sighed.

'Malfoy has a press conference this evening' she supplied 'The Weird Sisters cut their contract with us this morning and Malfoy paid them out...'

Her eyes were locked with Hermione's.

"Ginny went home after that."

"It's not like her to run out on us!" Hermione said looking at her papers. "Oh, Neville!" she moaned putting the paper in one of the drawers "He lost Madam G's new chapter! Again! Thank God that old lady loves him so much or we would be faced with another lawsuit!"

'You should see Padma trying to restrain the new girl, the one that insists in wearing black all the time, Constance, in a frilly electric pink nightgown. The brat made a scene for all to see' Pansy complained drawing another circle around her department's requisitions.

Hermione could hear Pansy muttering at herself. Something along the lines of '_Bloody incompetents, think they are supermodels when they are just dirty little brats!_'

Pansy dealt with wanna-be models everyday and most of them were just spoiled adolescents with rich daddies who thought the world existed to please them. When Hermione once said that Pansy used to be just like that, the Parkinson's heiress was not amused. They didn't speak for five entire days until Ginny locked them up in a broom closet without their wands.

They worked in silence only talking with other people through the phone.

Pansy looked up from her papers. It was five p.m. Ginny was gone since morning.

'I can't believe she left us here to go _god knows where_!' she pouted 'I need Ginny! I have this papers I need her to sign!'

Hermione laughed.

'See if she left any note or something like that' the brunette offered.

Pansy walked to their absent friend's desk and roamed through her stuff.

'Ah!' she exclaimed picking one baby green paper written in Ginny's tight handwriting.

Hermione went to Pansy curious as to what Pansy had found.

Pansy smirked at Hermione.

'It looks like _Mystique_ is coming back from retirement'

* * *

**Next chapter includes sexual contents, violence and some surprises. So be prepared ;)**

**A/N: Soooo what do you think about it? Please review!**

**What do you think now? Do you find confusing the alternation between 1998 and 2005? Would you prefer I wrote the 1998 as flashbacks?**

**Please review! I want, needdddd, feedback ;) no flames please!*******


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing! All J.K. Rowling, all besides the plot.**_

_**A/N: First of all, thanks to Katereena**__** for reviewing and all of you who are now following my story =) Thank you soooooo much!**_

_**Hope you enjoy it =)*****_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_** October, 1998**_

Hermoine woke up with a start. She looked around her surrounding and she started relaxing. She was home, she was safe. She smiled at the red headed man besides her and snuggled against him. His arms tightened around her and she forgot all those moments of agony at the hands of Belatrix and the scars in her arms, all her nightmares flown away. In his arms she felt free from her demons.

She had found her parents and reversed the spell. Ron and Harry had gone with her to Australia for moral support. After a while her parents moved back to Britain but their relationship was still fragile. They couldn't forgive her entirely for using magic on them. It was still a long way to go for their relationship to be what it used to be but Hermoine knew she would get there.

She was going to therapy for her PTS and was felling better each day 'though she would have some bad days she was working her path to a semi-normal life. She had even considered looking for a job somewhere but she was not sure where to start looking. She didn't know what she wanted to do. She had refused an offer from the Auror's department. She'd seen too much death and blood for a life time so she wanted to do something peaceful, something she was passionate about... maybe teaching or something to do with books.

Her answer to this dilemma came in the form of Ginny Weasley on the last day of October.

Ginny was looking thinner than usual. She had bags under her eyes but her face was different from the last time Hermoine had seen her. She looked happier. She looked healthier somehow. They didn't see much of Ginny since she had left the Burrow. It'd taken a toll on Mrs. Weasley but at the same time everyone understood Ginny needed her space, she took things differently. Although each and every one of them had battled in the war, Ginny's demons were deeper than theirs. She had been inside the monster's mind. She had been possessed by him. Even if she had said at that time that she was okay, maybe she had lied. Hermione could see it after the war when everything just came down on them. When they stopped fighting and all thoughts and emotions took over them... Ginny had broken.

Hermione only saw that hollow look on two other persons and even though those two people had lead different paths and lives, they had one thing in common: they had seen evil, touch evil, become at some point the object of said evil and were now without a clear purpose in life.

Harry was one of them but she knew Harry was bouncing through. He always did have strength in him that bewildered her. And from the looks of Ginny she found hers as well.

'You look better, Ginny' she said offering her a cup of tea. Hermione's flat was not big. It had only the essential utilities, one bedroom, one kitchen, one small living room and one bathroom. She had barely room for all her rooms but she would magically expand it if necessary.

Hermoine sat down and took a good look at her friend.

'We've missed you... You barely visit and I've been missing you terribly' Hermoine stated taking a sip of her cup of tea.

'Well, you know I don't feel comfortable at the Burrow anymore... and I've been busy...' Ginny mumbled.

Hermoine sighed and nodded absently. She knew Ginny would get better. She had to. Everyone was trying to at least and she knew her friend was to. Most of them had what the Muggles called Post-traumatic Stress. They were only children and this war had made them grow up fast. The atrocities they'd seen where enough for their innocent die but the scars ran deeper and most of them had decided to alleviate their symptoms by going to therapy and work it out. But not Ginny... she refused to acknowledge her problems and preferred to deal with it her own way.

Not everyone was having trouble and PTS symptoms and those that were had them in different ways. Some were having graver symptoms than others.

'Busy at Mr. Smith's shop? I thought he was closing it...' Hermoine said taking in the strange look on Ginny's face.

Ginny cleared her throat.

'Well, you see...I've been working for Mr. Smith all summer and this fall and I'll be working part time until he decides to close it...' Ginny gazed her dear Hermione's curious face and added 'but I've taken up a job in a Muggle company called Mystic. They're still very small and have only a one artist signed up but she's really good and Muggles are going bunkers about her music. Maybe you heard of her. Her name is _Mystique_.'

'No, I'm sorry, I've not heard of her music yet' Hermoine said still a bit surprised by Ginny's news. 'You said you're going to work for a MUGGLE company?'

'Yes, in fact, I'm the new agent of Mystique. I'm going to find new talents and sign then into our record label. Isn't it fun?' Ginny said with a smile.

'She should smile more' Hermione thought grinning at this new Ginny she was seeing.

'You know, I never knew you liked the music business...' Hermione said offering Ginny a piece of cake Mrs. Weasley had given her the night before.

'Well, it started as a hobby. I learned to play a bit at Hogwarts as therapy after my first year and Mr. Smith has been teaching after hours and I...' she hesitated. Maybe she felt embarrassed to be happy about something after all that happened 'I love it... I found my passion, Hermione. I just love the idea of helping other people finding their success, you know?'

Hermione laughed 'Yes, I know just what you mean, Ginny. I reckon I'd love to do that as well' and a year later she was.

* * *

That night Ginny decided to show up at The Burrow after all she was so thrilled with her new job that she had to tell everyone.

Her mother was preparing dinner as usual.

'Hi mom' Ginny said with a smile. She really missed her parents even though she couldn't bring herself to visit more often.

Mrs. Weasley almost dropped the pan she was cleaning.

'Ginny!' she shrieked welcoming her into her arms ' Oh dear, how have you been? You look so thin! Have you been working too much? Or are you starving yourself? I'm sure to save you some food to take home with you! Arthur, come and see! Ginny's here!' She let Ginny go and ran into the living room to get Arthur Weasley.

Ginny stared at her hands. If only they stopped shaking every time she visited the Burrow maybe she would come more often. After all she loved her parents and her brothers. Her brothers...Fred... His sweet funny brother Fred... She had seen Fred drop on the floor. And she saw it every night ever since in her dreams. She saw Fred, Colin, Remus and Tonks... she saw them all die, she relived it every night, every time she walked through her parents' door. She tried to steady her breathing as her father walked in the kitchen and embraced her. He looked older. He had a shadow in his once smiley eyes ever since that night. Her sweet, funny, carefree father... She smiled sadly. They would never be the same again and who could blame them? They lost a son and their children were broken.

Later that night, Ginny was enjoying dinner with her family for the first time in a long time. When Mrs. Weasley started to cut the chocolate cake and passed it around, Ginny stood up and cleared her throat. Everyone looked at her expectantly.

'As you all know, I've been working at Hogsmeade. This past month I got an offer to be a musical agent for a new Muggle company.' She said with a smile 'Here is my first client's first single. One for each of you... I hope you like it... Oh, I did bring you a CD player so you can listen to it.' Ginny looked around her purse for the small cd player to enlarge it and gave it to her dad who looked like a child at Christmas morning.

'Let us listen then, dear' urged Mrs. Weasley. She was rather happy to see her young girl so cheerful. Ginny smiled and put the cd in the cd player and seconds later a soft melody came through it:

'_When you were standing in the wake of devastation _

_When you were waiting on the edge of the unknown _

_With the cataclysm raining down_

_Your insides crying, 'Save me now' _

_You were there, impossibly alone. _

_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation? _

_You build up hope, but failures all you've known. _

_Remember all the sadness and frustration_

_And let it go. _

_Let it go._

_And in a burst of light that blinded every angel _

_As if the sky had blown the heavens into stars_

_You felt the gravity of tempered grace_

_Falling into empty space _

_With no one there to catch you in their arms._

_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation? _

_You build up hope, but failures all you've known. _

_Remember all the sadness and frustration_

_And let it go. _

_Let it go._

_(Instrumental Break)_

_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation? _

_You build up hope, but failures all you've known. _

_Remember all the sadness and frustration_

_And let it go. _

_Let it go._

_Let it go._

_Let it go._

_Let it go._

_Let it go._

_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation? _

_You build up hope, but failures all you've known. _

_Remember all the sadness and frustration_

_And let it go. _

_Let it go.'_

When Ginny clicked on the stop button she saw that she had made the right decision. There was not a clear eye in the room. She knew it had touched something inside each and every one of them because it had touched her too.

* * *

Later that week Ginny decided she was going to share the music with Draco. Ginny wasn't sure why but she wanted to share with him. She was feeling a bit down again. After showing her family something inside her broke again. The sleepless nights were catching up with her. She was feeling numb again and her excursions to the studio weren't helping anymore.

That afternoon, she closed the shop early and said goodbye to Mr. Smith. He was closing the shop definitively the next week. Walking back to the Inn, Ginny was lost in her thoughts and unknowingly she stopped at the gates of Hogwarts.

Coming to her senses Ginny walked back to Hogsmeade. She wasn't ready to go back. No one was. Not even Hermoine was happy being there again. She had when back to finish her education while Harry and Ron decided to take an internship at the Auror's Department.

Even Neville was interning with them.

How they could work there, Ginny couldn't imagine... she had had enough of war and violence for a life time.

When she got to the Inn, Malfoy was already waiting there, hidden by the shadows of the sunset.

'You look downcast today, Ginevra but I guess getting a job at a Muggle company can do that to a person' he said smirking. Ginny sighed without strengths to engage in their usual banter.

Draco noticed this and crossed the distance between them. She had been crying. Ginevra never cried. That was one of the things Draco admired in her, she was stronger than other woman, she was a fighter but he could see the weak foundations holding her soul to the living. She was depressed, she was anxious and sleep deprived.

That night Draco saw the Ginny most hadn't. The lonely suffering Ginny... a woman losing the battle against herself. She was strong but she was weak as well. She was, after all, only human.

In the sunset, he hugged her. Awkwardly, as he barely hugged any one (in fact he couldn't remember the last time he had hold anyone).

'Everything will be alright' he said soothing her but they both knew it wouldn't get better. Draco knew the nightmares would persist and her grieve would only get mildly better but it would never be gone... it would forever be with her for she had been touched by the darkest wizard of all times and he had soiled her innocence and taken from her part of her being. She was strong because she was capable of loving but that also meant she was capable of suffering far more than someone who wasn't capable of such feeling... someone as Draco.

He could see it know. He no longer agreed with Ginny's theory of why they were friendly with each other. He now had a new theory of his own. He was a part of the dark that once had touched her. She was repulsed by it but she craved that feeling because it felt like home, like something she knew... instead of the new and complex new world she was now forced into living. In a twisted way, it made sense to him. He was her something old. The thing she could count not to change...and it made her feel safe. He could sense it by the way she calmed when he hugged her.

And that... that made him want to change.

* * *

Ginny looked at the blond in front of her. She noticed the bags under his eyes. He was drinking his tea calmly and regally as only a Malfoy could. She had been shocked when she felt his arms around her. She had been even more shocked when she felt safe in his arms.

'I'm sorry for that...' she mumbled 'I don't normally cry...'

'Yes, I know' he stated.

The silence was unbearable.

'Why were you crying?' he asked staring calmly at her eyes. His grey eyes assessing hers like they're mirrors to her soul.

'I..' she hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to confide in Malfoy.

'You can tell me, Ginevra' he replied 'I'm not one to judge' he said with a smirk.

She laughed lightly.

'I miss Fred' she stated 'and Tonks and Remus... and everyone else... it's hard after all we've been through that they're dead and I lived...'.

Draco nodded. He couldn't understand her lost. He hadn't been close to anyone that their death would leave him grieving. The only things he had lost were his innocence, his status in the Wizarding World and for now the company of his parents whom he visited once a month at Azkaban.

'Is there anything I could do to help?' he asked tentatively.

The image of their kiss popped into Ginny's head and she laughed a bit into her butterbeer.

'No, I think I'm a lost cause tonight' she said dramatically with a sad smile.

She couldn't admit that the only two seconds she had forgotten everything were during that kiss. What Weasley would admit that?

Draco could see her cheeks turning pink and he smirked. He could almost bet she was thinking of their kiss... because for him that had been the only moment of peace he'd had since the Dark Lord rose and then died.

'Tell me more about them... maybe it would help a bit' he said.

'Well, maybe you don't know but Tonks was my best friend...' she replied hesitantly.

'Not Granger?' he asked with a raised brow.

'No, Hermione is a great friend of mine but she's Ron and Harry's best friend not mine...Tonks was like a big sister to me, she was the closed to a best friend I ever had...' she continued to talk until she could no longer keep her eyes open. She smiled sleepily and thanked Merlin that the next day was Saturday.

'It's time to go, Malfoy. I need my beauty sleep' she joked.

'Not even an eternity sleep would help you, Weasley!' he said with a smirk.

She laughed at his jibes and walked him to the door of her room. He put the cloak over his head hiding his identity from strange eyes before his hand went for the door knob.

'I guess that this is goodbye for now, Ginevra' he said seriously.

'What do you mean, Malfoy?' she asked.

'Well, my community work is on hold and I'm going to France to help your buddy Potter and you brother capture Rookwood... I know where his safe is so they asked me to guide them there...' at the name of the Death Eater that had killed Fred, Ginny's face went white.

'Oh, I ...' she mumbled.

Draco hold her arm to steady her and their eyes locked.

'We will catch him, Ginevra and he'll pay!' he promised.

There was a fire inside his eyes that told Ginny he meant his promise.

'Is it bad of me that I wish him dead? I wish them all dead...' she whispered and yelped when his fingers tightened around her arm. She then realised she had included in him and his family in her statement.

'Oh, Malfoy, I didn't mean to...' she started but he interrupted 'No, you did, Ginevra but it's okay. I understand why you would wish that but remember...no one deserved to die... even if they made all the wrong choices and committed unspeakable evils. They deserve to pay for their actions but not with death if that can be avoided'.

He let go of her arm and walked out.

It took only some seconds for Ginny to decide to go after him.

He was almost reaching his usual Apparition point when she called out his name.

'Draco, please!' she called.

He stopped and looked at her. Unlike her, Draco was prone to cry. But he was not used to being caught doing so. Seeing his tears broke something inside of Ginny. She didn't know she could break more than she already was.

She closed the distance between them and took him face in her tiny hands. She was petite. She had to be on the tips of her feet to even reach his face but she did the only thing she knew would stop the pain, she kissed him.

How they got back to her room, Ginny didn't know but she didn't care. She was lost in Draco. She was lost in the lust she was feeling and all her demons were forgotten at least in that moment.

He felt her tiny hands go to his pant and caught her hand in his.

'Ginevra, we shouldn't...' he said in a trembling voice.

'Why? Because the world is going to end if we do?' she replied 'I need to forget, Malfoy and you do too... this makes no sense but it's the only thing working, isn't it? So, what have we got to lose now that isn't already lost?'

To reinforce her willingness, Ginny kissed him fiercely, almost to the point of pain.

'Make me forget, Draco, please...' she pleaded out of desperation and he was too happy to comply.

He started undressing her with a hunger and fire in his eyes that made Ginny lock her eyes with his. He started kissing her everywhere... on her neck, on her breasts, on her thighs and on her belly. She was completely naked in his arms and did not care. All she could think about was the way his chest was filled with muscle and how his kissed made her eager to have him inside her. She didn't care that the man making her feel alive was none other than Malfoy the boy that had teased her all her life, who plotted against Dumbledore... in that moment she could only feel the heat between them, the fire inside her...she felt more alive than she ever did and it was reason enough to forget everything else.

Before penetrating her, Draco asked permission with his eyes. As he penetrated her, Ginny forgot herself. She forgot the misery inside her... she felt only that moment, the entwining of bodies, of lost souls. They had sex roughly almost painfully. It was the mirror of their raw souls. It was pure sex, raw and animalistic sex. There was no love involved and Ginny was fine with it. And so was Draco. They just needed to forget... they needed the lust fulfilled.

* * *

_**14th October 2005**_

Ginny opened her office's doors in haste. Hermione and Pansy looked up from her desks.

'Oh, look who's back, Herms. Isn't she the CEO of the company or something?' Pansy remarked snidely.

Ginny glared sitting down in her desk. The truth was she was too tired to argue with Pansy. She had been absent from the company since the day Celestina left. Though it didn't mean she had been laying around doing nothing, quite the contrary.

'Okay, people. Gather around the desk' she said gathering her papers in her desk.

'How is our status?' Ginny asked.

The other two glared at Ginny.

'Almost ten per cent drops in sells. Malfoy has been spreading lies about our company and stealing our workers. Many authors and musicians have left our company for his, in case you didn't read the paper during your break' remarked Hermione.

'He opened a modelling agency in France that in considered by far more _in_ than ours' said Pansy looking at her sheets 'I'm reduced to ten models, two stylists, one wardrobe and make-up manager and a couple of assistants'

'He's paying far more than the money we stipulated in the contracts so the artists don't think twice about leaving us…' Hermione showed some charts 'Financially, we'll have to let go some workers if we want to pay the rest of them…and our charity fund has to be cut short, too.'

Ginny nodded gravely.

'The only good news is that our Muggle Company is still going strong. How many people do we have to lay off?' she asked looking out the window.

'Neville's department, at least'

..**..

Neville Longbottom was one of the nicest man anyone could ever meet and one of the clumsiest too. He was a truly loyal and hard working man, even if he was the one who most frequently caused Ginny awful headaches.

The Literature Department had three main sections: School Books, Fiction Books and Home and Do-it-yourself Books. Neville was in charge, along with an American witch, Gyldia Folk, of the later section.

Most of their work came from old witches that dedicated their time typing down their knowledge for other younger wizards to use in their modern lives. Old ladies like Madam Pearl, Madam Fich, Miss Gerd and Miss Lulla that had nothing else to do and no one to take care of. They thought of _Mystic_ as a second home with lots of grandchildren.

Not the most lucrative section of the Department but it had much sentimental value.

So, as you can imagine, firing and cancelling every contract of that section was not easy for Ginny.

That evening she called Neville into her office. Both Pansy and Hermione were in their departments organizing their work so she was alone with Neville.

One hour later, Neville come out, tears in his eyes. Ginny followed him out and hugged him whispering 'I'm sorry' and showing him to the elevator.

As the elevator's doors closed, Ginny's mobile rang.

She ran into her office and opened the ringing mobile.

'Yes?'

'GINNY?! IS RON!' Even though everyone had explained him that there was no need to yell at the mobile, Ronald Weasley still did it.

'Talk normally, Ronald' Ginny snapped sitting down on her chair 'What do you want?'

'I need your HELP! Can you LEAVE work EARLY?'

'Fine, meet me at the Leaky Cauldron in ten minutes. Bye!'

Closing the mobile she sighed.

Her eyes fell on a offending and teasing invitation on top of her desk.

She picked it up.

_**Miss Weasley,**_

_**Is with honour that Monsieur Fitzwilliam invites you for his annual Tribute Ball for business personalities in the 20**__**th**__** October.**_

* * *

Should she go? Neither Herms nor Pansy were invited… Going alone to this ball…

Maybe it would be a good opportunity to met future business partners…

Ginny was brought out of her thoughts by a giggling Pansy and a scowling Hermione.

'Oh, Ginny, great news!' she squealed 'Harry's coming to town soon, so I thought we could use him a bit. You know, having him do an autograph session or something…'

'I think it's outrageous, Ginny! Using Harry's fame for our credit!' Hermione scowled at Pansy.

'Actually…'Ginny grinned jumping up from her chair 'Tell Harry I want to talk to him tomorrow by floo, okey?'

Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down flipping through pages of to be books.

'Got to go, guys. But I promise that tomorrow things will be better.' Ginny said running to the elevator 'Pans, I need a fancy gown. I'm going to the Fitz's Ball'

Ronald Weasley was Ginny's brother and the only one who still came to her when he wanted help with his 'Hermione' problems. So it was not unusual to see the two of them walking around Diagon Alley at such late hour.

'Are you sure Hermione is still at work?' he asked for the seventh time.

'Yes, Ronald!' she snapped.

''kay…'

Ginny rolled her eyes impatiently.

'So, where do you think we should go looking, sis?' Ron asked rocking on his feet nervously.

'Where else, Ron?! Paris, of course!' Ginny grabbed his arm and apparated them to Paris.

'I know just the place, Ronny' she joked clinging to his arm and pulling him into the secret wizarding passage to the French version of Diagon Alley, the Petite Alley.

Inside people were walking calmly through the streets. Unlike Diagon Alley, the Petite Alley was very organized and fashionable. Ron, although it was not the first time Ginny brought him there, was grinning like a little kid in a candy shop.

'It still amazes me how you act like this, every time I bring you to Paris, Ron' Ginny commented happily.

It was good to be in Paris. She loved the creamy colours of the shops, the organised structure of the place, the quietness in which they could shop, the memories of peaceful times..

'Let's go, silly boy. Monsieur Jacques is almost closing his shop' she said trying to forget the bittersweet memories of her first time visiting Paris and starting to head toward the petite jewellery at the chic aka expensive part of the Wizarding centre.

It was a small shop but Monsieur Jacques jewels were the best in all Paris.

The old man smiled as he saw Ginny and Ron enter his shop. The bald man shook his head and greeted them in his best English.

'Good evening, mon petite amis! What 'as 'e done now, Mademoiselle Ginny? Is Mademoiselle 'ermione mad at 'im again?' he chuckled remembering many of their visits. Ron always came with Ginny to Monsieur Jacques to buy his 'forgive me' presents to Hermione.

'Not at all, Monsieur Jacques. Ron is here to pick a ring, a very especial ring' Ginny said proudly wicking at the man.

'Oh, mon dieu! Finally!' the old man exclaimed rushing to the back of his shop to show them his very best work.

He showed them rings after rings. Half an hour later they were down to five rings. Ron was grinning feverishly from one to another but Ginny's eyes fell on one eternity diamonds ring with an emerald in the middle.

'Oh, Monsieur! That's beautiful! Don't you think, Ron?' she yelped pointing to the ring.

'It's all diamonds Ginny, I don't have the money for that kind of ring...' Ron started but Monsieur Jacques cut his speech.

'I'm so sorry Mademoiselle... I should not 'ave shown you this ring... silly me! Pardon! That ring is already bought, Mademoiselle,' he said putting it in a velvet box and putting it inside a drawer 'to a very good costumer of mine'

'Well, too bad…' Ginny replied 'It really is beautiful, Monsieur'

'Yes, indeed' Monsieur Jacques replied with a gleam in his eyes.

There was a pregnant silence while Ron chose the right one between the five final rings and Monsieur Jacques and Ginny waited.

'C'mon, Ron' Ginny whined 'I'm sure Herms is going to like whatever you give her! And I can give you some money to buy which ever you want so you don't go bankrupt! After all I said I'd help you...'

'Really?' he said happily. Although Ron had been given a great deal of galleons after the war his Auror's job didn't pay that much so he couldn't go crazy or he would not have money to pay for the wedding.

'Yes, really! Just pick one!'

'Shush, Gin-bug! It has to be the right One.' He snapped analysing one of the rings.

Tired of waiting, Ginny picked up one of them. It was a white gold ring with two diamonds and a ruby in the middle. It was wonderful like all of them. Though what made it perfect was the small lion on the right side by the right diamond.

'This one, Ron. She's going to love this one' she declared passing him the ring. Ron took it sceptically but his eyes gleamed in delight.

'Yes, this is it'

* * *

**A/N: I don't own the lyrics. It's "Irisdescent" from Linkin Park. **

**I didn't include the violence scene this time but next chapter is sure to have some violence and some biiiiig surprises! Can you guess?**

**Please review! I want, needdddd, feedback ;) no flames please!*******


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